Refrigerator.



JCW. RHEAP.

REFRIGERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE15, I911.

' Patented Mar. 18,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- 15 V Y INVEN OR (Ia/277,98 WP/wa, BY

WITNESS ATTORNEY 1 W. RHEA. REFRIGERATOR.

APPLICATIORFILED JUNE I5. 1917.

1,297,910. Patented Mar. 18,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Millin INVENTOR James "IF/lea,

ATTORNEY JAMES W. RHEA, OF KINGSPO-R-T, TENNESSEE.

REFRIGERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

' Application filed June 15, 1917. Serial No. 174,941.

- which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to refrigerators and one object is to provide athoroughly sanitary construction in which no packing is employed, aplurality of receptacles being separated by a vacuum chamber for forminga non-conducting wall, and said receptacles being formed of glass or thelike and the individual elements being constructed and assembled in acertain novel manner hereinafter described.

A further object is to provide a plurality of receptacles, each formedin sections and formed with means thereon whereby said sections will beproperly I spaced concen trically when the device as a whole is to be ofcylindrical form, and with means permittlng the parts to be properlysecured together and permitting the door to be properly hungandoperated.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view of the refrigerator in front elevation,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section,

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 shows a detail view in section on the line 44 of Fig. 1, i

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the ice receptacle.

Fig. 7 shows the lower half of the doorway as formed with a beveledflange at the side thereof.

In the construction of a refrigerator in accordance with my invention Iprefer to make use of a cylindrical casing and a cylindrical innerchamber but wish to be understood as not limiting myself to theconfiguration of the outer casing or the casing mounted therein. Theouter chamber and the inner chamber may each be made of glass having asuitable thickness, said chambers being spaced apart to form a vacuumchamber and each cylinder being formed in two sections secured alongtheir meeting edges by means of glass cement. The outer chambercomprises a plurality of cylindrical members 10 and 12 each-havingformed integrally therewith an end portion, the top being designated 19and the bottom 15. The bottom member 15 is provided with a tube 16extending therethrough for the purpose of exhausting the air from thespace between the walls, tube 16 being surrounded by a flange 17 for thepurpose of protecting the latter from injury. The entire construction ismounted upon a suitable base portion which may be of ornamentalcharacter and is designated 18.

The sections 10 and 12 of the casing are provided with inwardlyextending lugs 20 in the bottom, with similar lugs 21 in the top andwith other lugs 22 spaced at suitable points around the interior. Thesemembers are cemented to the outer walls. The top 19 and the bottommember 15 are each provided with ribs 24 formed integrally with saidwalls and constituting reinforcing members. Similar ribs or ridges areprovided on the outer sides of the top and bottom of the inner cylinder,these members I being designated 25.

The upper section 27 of the inner cylinder and the lower section 28 areeach provided with inwardly extending annular flanges designated 30 forthe purplose of supporting the shelves 31. These s elves may be'three innumber spaced apart at substantially equal distances, if desired, andmade of metal, being formed in sections hinged together so that they maybe folded and conveniently inserted through the door and then unfoldedwith their edges in contact with the aforesaid annular flanges 30. Thehinge connections 32 and 33 of these shelves are so formed that theshelves may be folded in one direction and may then be unfolded tohorizontal position and be retained in such position.

' The inner receptacle is provided with an opening forming a doorway,one portion of which opening is designated 34 and is formed in the uppersection, the other portion being shown at 35 and formed in the lowersection. Theedges of the side walls adjacent the openings 3t and 35 aredeflected in two directions "for the purpose of forming flanged portions37 which engage the walls 37 of corresponding openings 39 and 40 formedin the sections 10 and 12 of the outer casing.

The edges of the sections 10 and i2 and the corresponding edges ofsections 27 and 28 of the two receptacles are formed so that theydove-tail, one edge of each section being CODVGX as shown at 1-2 and theother edge 43 being concave, the adjoining sections being secured byglass cement as above indicated.

The door 4% may be formed of a solid plate of glass which contacts withthe strip of rubber packing l5 surroundin the edges of the opening ordoorway. the door is provided with hinge members 45 and 47, therespective hinges being so constructed and mounted that the door willclose of its own. accord when left open and when in position to permitof free movement. The door latch is designated 48 and is of the typepermitting positive engagement and a given degree of compression of thepacking material when the door is secured.

A. plurality circumferentially of the outer casing and are partiallyembedded within channels 52 formed in the sections of the outer casingduring the process of manufacture. bands ma be connected at the edges ofthe opening orming the doorway by means of vertically arranged strips orbraces 53 and 5d the first of which provides means for mounting thecatch to be engaged by the se curing member and the second of whichprovides a mounting for the hinges. A third band 55 is located centrallyof the outer casing and has connection at ends with said vertical strips53 and 54, this band 55 passing around the outer casing at the pointwhere the two sections thereof meet and are secured together in themanner previously indicated. 5.;

The ice receptacle com rises a metallic box of suitable configurationand capacity, this box being designated and being provided with handlesby which it may be placed within the refrigerator or removed therefrom.This box is provided with a false bottom 62 and with a cover 63, whichcover may be closed when desired and especially if the door is to bekeptopen for a very brief time during the operation of removing certainof the articles within'the inner receptacle. The water which collects inthis box from the melting of the'ice may be used fondrinking purposes ifdesired, it being the intention that the box shall be kept in aperfectly sanitary condition in of bands 50 and 51 extend- These orderthat it may be employed as a cool or cold water chamber for the purposeindicated. Tn cleaning the ice receptacle and water cooling receptacle,it is only necessary to remove the latter, and in cleaning the remainderof the structure it is then only necessary to take out the foldingshelves after the articles have been removed.

In the process of assembling the device, I

members 20. The flanged portion of the inner receptacle along the edgesof the door passes over the edges of the doorway in the lower section ofthe outer casing. These parts may then be cemented for forming anair-tight joint at the doorway. The upper section of the outer casingbeing then placed in position and secured by means of thecircumferential bands specified above, the door is mounted and thedevice is complete.

Tn the form illustrated in Fig. 'l, the flanged portion 137 of thedoorway of the lower half of the inner receptacle has a beveled edge forengaging a correspond ingly beveled portion 137 on each side ofthedoorway of the lower half 12 of the outer casing. The cross sectionof flange 13'? corresponds with the cross section of the flange of Fig.8, flange 137 being beveled however, as stated.

I claim 1. Tn a refrigerator, an outer casing comprising a plurality ofintegrally formed members including side walls and end portions, spacinmeans carried by the inner walls of sai casing, an inner receptacleformed of a plurality of sections having end walls and integrally formedsides, said sections being provided. with edges constructed tointer-engage one another, and said inner rece taole and outer casingeach being provi ed with an opening, the walls of the inner receptacleextending about the edges of the opening of the outer receptacle to forman air-tight connection and a substantially continuous insulated wall ofuniform thickness about said opening, a door for closing said opening,and means permitting the exhaustion of air from a space between theouter casing and inner receptacle.

2. Tn a device of the class described, an

emme i o uter casing, e receptacle constituting a lintially and adaptedto contact with the oppoing therefor; said receptacle comprising a sitesection and the other of said sections plurality of sections each havingside and being dprovided with a convex portion 10 end walls integrallyformed and provided adapte to engage seld groove. 5 with reinforcing nbsandwith internally In testimony whereof I afix my slgnature.

rojecting flanges one of said sections hevf mg its e ge portion groovedcircumferen- JAS. W. REA.

